Link to article: https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-taliban-human-rights-un-7bc72e9339e37ba9a5b70b20ee72c58f
The Taliban must embrace and uphold humans’ rights obligations in Afghanistan. Basic human rights have been revoked, women and girls some of the most affected. The bans include inclusion to most public spaces and daily life, which has been globally condemned. The UN has been documenting the Taliban’s extrajudicial killings, torture and ill-treatment, corporal punishment, arbitrary arrest and detention, and other violations of detainees’ rights. Any who speak out against these injustices face potential arbitrary arrest, detention, threats and censorship. The head of the U.N. mission in Afghanistan, Roza Otunbayeva, said rights must be upheld to ensure the country’s future prosperity, cohesion and stability. The US has sanctioned two Taliban officials as of late over human rights abuses. The first, Fariduddin Mahmood, has placed education related bans on women and girls, stopping them from being educated past the sixth grade. Khalid Hanafi, from the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice is the US’ is the second target of the sanctions, “Since August 2021, members of the MPVPV have engaged in serious human rights abuse, including abductions, whippings, and beatings,” said the State Department. The Taliban have condemned the sanctions, saying that the pressure and restrictions won’t solve anything, and accusing the US of hypocrisy due to their support of Israel in Palestine. Restrictions on women and girls are the biggest roadblock in the Taliban’s way of gaining recognition as Afghanistan’s legit government.
The UN’s and the US’ involvement with the Taliban regarding the treatment of the women living there is definitely a good thing, but is it interfering with their sovereignty? Regardless of what they’re doing, sovereignty means that they can run their state the way they like. Though this only applies if the Taliban is recognized as Afghanistan’s legit government. Which it isn’t. Their negative treatment of women has been stated to be the leading reason why the Taliban isn’t recognized. This brings into question; will they change their treatment of women, or will they continue the way they are? If they continue, will the UN and the US change their tactics?
From the feminist perspective, the Taliban’s actions are proof of the feminist ideology, that male principles and ways of ruling not only oppress women but are inherently aggressive in nature. Their solution would require the upheaval of the system, allowing for equality in the leadership positions. Though the transformation of the regime would be difficult, the inclusion of women would help alleviate the number of restrictions placed on women. There are alternative solutions though, like with the realist perspective, that says that power play is the solution. All it would require would be a state, probably the US, to go in and make them stop. Though due to the geography of Afghanistan and how the US’ previous experience there went, they would definitely be more hesitant, or just not go in the first place. Another option would be the liberal perspective, which says that reciprocity is the way. This would require negotiation with the Taliban to reach a compromise or deal, which would be more challenging.